Figure toy



Jan.8, 1935. FUKUMOTO 1,987,528

FIGURE TOY Filed Dec. 11 1933 Patented Jan. 8, 1935 .s ATes PATENT OFFICE v .F IQI- r Kameichi Fu uinot saarrancism, Calif. l

V Application December 11,1933, Serial No. 701,931

5, invention relates figuretoys of the: jointed-member'type and aims to combine simplicity.

of construction with-- grace and animation-.and

thezcapacity for a. wide variationin design. 1 5" My invention .is'. primarily. adaptedlf or fanciful tion zap'pear m the following description of a typical. embodiment in th'form' of an eggdoll,

illustrated-in the accompanying drawing show-.

" ing'a Japanese motif.

or: grotesquemythological, human or animal fea-.

;- tu'r'es, geometrical "designs, rnodernisticr= *art- I or. what not; This shell=may conveniently be formed from "a *hns egg by :blowing out the' contents-: through small holes 111 .pierced at" the ends1of its major axis, although any hollow shapely form 0; of .paper,celluloid','5'ori other light stifi material may be utilized.

At the ends of a minor axis of the shell small perforations 12 are made, through each of which a thread, wire or other light fine flexible tension member 13 is passed. Upon these flexible members one or more light tubular elements 14 are strung on each side of the shell, forming jointed branches, wings or limbs, which may be colored or decorated or made to simulate whatever is desired to conform to the motif of the particular design or figure. Wooden pins 15, 16, or other suitable fastening means may be tied or otherwise secured to the flexible member at the end of each side branch to hold the joint members 14 in place.

Although the construction described is very light in weight, it requires some support to float it in the air, and for this purpose a branched or T-shape wand 17 is provided, to which the ends of the flexible members 13 are attached, one to the tip of each branch. A middle supporting member 18 of thread, wire or other light fine material is attached to the stem of the wand at the junction of the branches and passed through the perforations 11 in the shell. The lower end of r "7 Claims. (01.46540 this middle supporting member may b'e'knotted or fitted with a disc or pin '19 to prevent its pulling through the shell;

The lengths ofithe middle and side supporting memberslS, 13, respectively, may be adjusted by 5 winding one or'more turns at the upper ends thereof about the wand 17, as indicated in the drawing, to cause the jointed branches 14't'o assumeithe'desired normal attitude, preferably extended in bentposition. horizontally at each side. 10 The device may be so manipulated as to give it the effect of floatingin the air, and'by slightly twisting .the wand-between the finger and thumb to rotate it upon its axis,the ends of the side branches-14 may be made to move up and down relatively to'the shell or body 10, thereby simulating motion if desired. t 1

It will be readily apparent that numberless modifications of my design'can be made and con- 7 a j structed by anyone having'a sense of form and 20' i In the chosen: design, the figure has a body-like ellipsoidal hollowishell 10 upon which maybe dis f played appropriate embellishments,- 1 as fanciful:

color; :allof the materials being found withir'i .th'ehome'. If desired, the embellishments upon the shelll'and side branches may be made from bits'of colored paper20, cut to desired shape and pasted thereon, as illustrated. 1 For-example, it may be convenient to construct the parts of paper-or celluloid, and to stencil or paint the body and side members to simulate the features of well known characters in fiction and public life, and in such case the siz'e and'proportions as well as the shape of the body and articulated parts may be made to suit.

If desired, the supporting members may be provided with snap hooks at their ends and the body and limb members with eyes, or vice versa, to facilitate assembly, and to enable replacement of broken or tangled cords and thelike.

It is evident that the nature of my invention is such as to provide a large amount of hand work in order to produce various fanciful figures in quantities as would be required to fill the normal demand for such novelties, and this is one of the advantages of the invention to reduce unemployment among women and others of natural artistic taste not trained for the practice of a skilled trade.

My invention is not restricted to the floating egg-doll design illustrated, but what I claim is as follows:

1. A suspended figure toy having a thin-walled hollow shell-like body of ellipsoidal shape provided with apertures at the ends of its major and minor axes, flexible supporting members passed through said apertures, one of said flexible members being disposed along saidmajor axis for sup- 55 porting said body and another having a portion extending along said minor axis, tubular side members strung on said minor axis supporting member and supported thereby, and a stiff manipulator to which the upper ends of said flexible supporting members are secured in spaced relation, whereby said figure toy is operable normally out of contact with a supporting surface.

2. A suspended figure toy having a thin-walled hollow shell-like body of ellipsoidal shape'pro-- vided withapertu res at the ends of its-major and minor axes, flexible supporting members passed through said apertures, one of said flexible mem -T- bers being disposed along said major axis for, supporting said body and two others having'portions disposed along said minor!;axis,;..tubular*sideii members strung on said minor axis supporting members and a stiff manipulator towhich' the upper ends of said flexible supportingn embers g are secured in spaced relation, the major axis supporting member being disposed between: the two ends of the minor axis supportingmenibers, whereby said figure toy is operable nonnally out of. contact with a supporting surface.

3. A'suspended figure toy having a thin-walled hollow shell-like body of ellipsoidal shape provided with apertures at the ends of its major and minor axes, supporting filaments passed through said apertures, one of said filaments being disposed along said major axis for support-1' ing saidbody andanother having a portionex tending along said minor axis, tubular side members strung ons'aid minor axis supporting 'filament and. ,astiff manipulator to which the upperthin-walled hollow shell-like body having two axes at right angles, three flexible tension members passing through said body shell on said axes, and a T-shape manipulator, all of said tension members being connected at and at the other end to the manipulator, one of said tension members supporting said body centrally and the other two of the tension members being oppositely disposed with respect to said ends or said filaments are secured in spaced relabody and each having one:

extremity of the-manipulator; light weighttubular elements strung on the last named tension members adjacent to said body, and means for preventing said tubualr elements from sliding on said tension members, perab e nma lwu ing surface.

' d'h sus'perided-figure toy having an ellipsoidal hollow shell of stiff thin material comprising of contact with a supportmeans of attachment at a point of symmetry, a 20 line flexiblectension: member connected to said shell at said point for supporting it,- side branohds comprising tubular stiff thin-walled niembers dis' posed on -opposite sides of said shell and 'eacli strung on a fineflexible tension member'passifig 25 through points of symmetryof said -shell 'a-rid' provided at the; outer endswitli mea'ns for preventing removal of saidutubulanside members, said shell and tubular ;members '"being operable out: ofxconta'c t; with a-siipportingcsurface and simulating: a fanciful: animated fioating figure" when suspendedby-means of said fiexiblenienie bers. "I. A suspended figure: toy having an: egg-shape" one end to said body 5 end' eonnected to an 10 whereby said figure toy is 15 hollowsliell of I stifi thin material providd with Z means I of attachmentat one of: itsie'ndsg: a fii-ie flexible tension. member connected tosaid shell at said end for supporting it; side branches 'com prisin'g tubular stiff thin -walled members dis posed on opposite sides of said shelland -eaqh 40* strung on a fine flexible tension member passing through opposite points-on thesides of saidshell: and prolvidedat the outer ends with meazis for preventing removal of-. saidtubular members; said, shelland tubuleir =side memberswbeing operableout: of contactpwitha a supporting surface and membersare secured in spaced relation, whereby? simulating; fanciful animated floating figure said figuretoy is operable normally outof com whenr'suspended by means of saidflexible mem-" tact with a supporting surface; bers? tion, whereby saidfigure toy is operable normally out of contact with a supporting surface.

4. A suspended figure toy having a blown egg shell bodyprovided with apertures at the ends of its major and minor axes, flexible supporting members passed throughsaid apertures; one of said flexible members being disposed along said" major axis and the others'along said minor axis; tubular side members strung on said minor axis supporting members, and a: stiff manipulatortto which the upper ends of-said flexible supporting 5. A-suspended fanciful figure toy comprisiiig'a 1L 1 

